


Do me a favour

by himarisu



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Housemates, M/M, Parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 13:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14136552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himarisu/pseuds/himarisu
Summary: Daniel finds that nothing ever goes the way he wants it to. Jihoon can't say the same for himself.





	Do me a favour

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Starry Nights](https://twitter.com/nwstarrynights) ♥
> 
> A huuuge thanks to [aurics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurics) for putting up with my whining while I was writing this (as always...)

Daniel is worried about Minhyun. He's constantly holed up in his room with his nose buried in journal articles, which is why Daniel came up with the perfect plan to get him out of their place. To get Minhyun to even listen to him though, Daniel literally had to type it up in a double-spaced, 11-point font format (because he’s that concerned), but even then its contents were simple:

  1. __Go to a friend’s house party__
  2. _Relax_
  3. _Drive the both of us home once we get bored._



What Daniel didn't take into consideration was the off chance of Minhyun abandoning him for Seongwoo just as Daniel was about to tell him he wanted to leave. Because where's the fun in parties if he can't drink and there's no one he cares enough about to socialise with?

He should have added a ' _No Ditching_ ' clause to the proposal.

Now Daniel has no choice but to be the compassionate housemate he always is by waiting for Minhyun. He wants to take the earliest chance he can to drag his ass out of the bedroom though, so standing right outside seems like a good idea even if this means onlookers will view him as some perverse third year who has a thing for indecent noises coming from behind closed doors.

Thankfully the second floor is empty, and the terrible music from downstairs travels far enough to subdue the sounds he would rather not hear from his good friend. In fact, it's so loud that he doesn't notice someone shows up until he feels a jab on his shoulder. When he cracks his eyes open, Daniel isn't at all surprised to see who it is, though he almost doesn’t recognise him in his V-neck sweater instead of the usual bright-coloured hoodies.

He’s the one cute boy who hangs around Seongwoo on campus so often that Daniel wonders if he's ever seen them apart. They've talked a few times before about classes and tests and whatever other small talk university students make with people they don't really care about, but only when their mutual friend Jisung was there to supervise their interactions and not make it an awkward-fest. Things might be a little different now that Minhyun and Seongwoo are involved with each other.

"Have you seen Seongwoo?" Jihoon exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Nope," Daniel replies, closing his eyes again because he's afraid his lack of eye contact will give his lie away. He was never able to look at Jihoon directly anyway; on top of being ridiculously attractive, it always seemed like he could read Daniel’s mind at a glance.

"Wow. If you weren't standing so suspiciously in front of that door, I'd believe you," he scoffs. Motioning his head towards the door, Jihoon continues, "He's in there, isn't he?"

Daniel doesn't know if Jihoon is too smart for his own good or if he's just terrible at lying, so it wouldn't hurt to try a hand at the latter again to find out. "No, he isn’t."

"I assume you won't mind if I go in then," says Jihoon as he takes a step towards Daniel, getting dangerously close in his personal space.

"I take it back, he's in there," Daniel sighs as he tries backing further into the door to put some distance between them. "But I can't let you in."

Jihoon raises an eyebrow, prompting Daniel to continue.

"I don't want anyone to ruin the night for Minhyun."

Jihoon stares at him disbelievingly. When he realises Daniel is being serious, and that it wasn’t some random excuse he came up with on the spot, he merely states in return, "I have class tomorrow morning and I have a job to take the idiot in there home."

"Ditto," Daniel mutters under his breath. "Get someone else to do it. I'm sure there isn't a low supply of people in this house who'd want to take him home." Because he knows just how popular Seongwoo is; always has been ever since high school.

"Well since you're conveniently here already, are you up for the task? Or should I shove you aside right now and let Minhyun know you were sitting outside the whole time listening in on them?" Jihoon lashes out, clenching his jaw.

Obviously everyone has their limits, but it still shocks Daniel to know Jihoon has one when he always looks so laid-back. The calm and collected expression that was there moments ago is no longer anywhere to be seen, all but replaced with a look of contempt directed right at Daniel. He flinches a little: he can almost feel Jihoon's glare burning holes through his head.

And as frustrating as it is, the only thing he can think of right now is how Jihoon still manages to look good even when he's pissed off, but he supposes it's a privilege only a few people in this world have.

"Fine, I'll do it," Daniel says before he knows it, glaring back at Jihoon for good measure.

There's a flicker of an emotion in Jihoon's eyes as soon as he says that, but it disappears before Daniel can grasp what it was. Jihoon gives him one last look before he turns around and leaves, not even sparing a word of thanks for the favour Daniel is about to do for him.

 

 

✧

 

 

There is no way Daniel will blame himself for sleeping through all of his alarms and missing the one class this semester he shouldn't have. Had it not been for Jihoon's appearance last night, he swears he would have woken up on time. Having to take Seongwoo home and losing sleeping minutes was one thing, but the fact that Jihoon left him so irritated by the end of the night that the sheer adrenaline kept him wide awake long after their exchange was another.

With how terrible his luck has been lately, Daniel should have expected he'd bump into the last person he wants to see today on campus, back in the typical hoodie and jeans he's so used to seeing on him.

"Hey," Jihoon says, but Daniel is already walking away.

"Apparently Seongwoo and Minhyun have started going out."

Clearly Daniel has never spun around so quickly in his life before because he almost trips over his own feet in the process.

"They're _what_?" asks Daniel, after regaining his balance.

"Going out. I heard from Seongwoo this afternoon," Jihoon shrugs, like he isn't at all surprised at this turn of events.

Daniel definitely is, though, because he didn't hear anything from the two of them last night even though they had plenty of time to explain themselves in the car. Or maybe they made it official in the morning when Daniel was still half-dead on his bed. In that case, he'll consider forgiving Minhyun for not telling him about it.

"Thanks, by the way."

Having his thoughts interrupted, Daniel looks at Jihoon, confusion plastered over his face. "For what?"

"For taking Seongwoo home," replies Jihoon, fiddling with the drawstrings of his hoodie. "And sorry about last night."

Daniel stares at him for a while, dumbfounded at the sudden apology, and then remembers he's supposed to be mad at Jihoon, not gossiping with him about their friends' dating news. Just as he thought, Jihoon might have the power to read minds; that might be why he knew how to bait Daniel into hearing him out while he was caught off-guard.

To his surprise, Jihoon doesn't wait for forgiveness, nor for a reply. Instead, he continues by asking, "Did you manage to catch class this morning?"

Daniel wonders why Jihoon is making small talk with him, though he doesn't express it outwardly. "I didn't, actually. I woke up wondering why it was so blazing hot so early in the morning when I realised it was already the afternoon."

Jihoon breaks into a slight smile and immediately coughs in an attempt to pretend it was never there. Too bad for him though, because Daniel did see it. At least the younger boy is somewhat aware that he's partially—no, fully at fault for Daniel missing his class, and maybe he even asked about it because he even feels guilty about it.

"I'll make it up to you," Jihoon says confidently. "I'll do anything you want me to."

Daniel raises an eyebrow. "Really," he says disbelievingly. "Anything?"

"Anything," echoes Jihoon. "I'll even boost your ELO for free."

"As if I'd ever ask anyone to do that for me," Daniel scoffs.

Jihoon smiles amusedly. "I was joking—I don't break rules. We should play a game together though, I heard from Jisung you're pretty decent."

"Sure, I guess," mumbles Daniel. How they managed to go from gossiping to apologising to agreeing to playing a game together, he doesn't know, but this is probably what his friends meant when they say Daniel always goes with the flow.

"So have you decided?" asks Jihoon, looking up at Daniel apprehensively.

It's easy to gather from his body language that, despite his initial boast of confidence in granting any of Daniel's wishes, Jihoon is actually nervous about what exactly his wish will entail. Daniel could hook up with someone at a party and have Jihoon take the both of them home as his wish out of spite, after all.

"How about you buy me a meal?" offers Daniel.

Jihoon widens his eyes ever so slightly. It's a controlled action, much like how he tried to pretend he never smiled earlier. He must have expected Daniel to demand more. And he's not going to lie, Daniel expected himself to demand more too, but he's beginning to think he wants to be friends with him, not enemies.

"Sure," Jihoon replies after a pause. "Anything else?"

Daniel doesn’t know what else he wants right now apart from maybe to wipe the indifferent expression Jihoon is doing a good job of maintaining off his face. He considers it. "Okay, how about your number?"

This time Jihoon looks properly taken aback, and it takes all his willpower for Daniel not to burst out laughing right then and there. _So this is what he looks like when he's surprised_ , Daniel thinks. Admittedly, he's kind of cute when he lowers his defenses.

"Um, sure," Jihoon replies, more skeptically this time around. Still, true to his claim of ‘ _anything_ ’, he puts his hand out for Daniel's phone, enters his number onto the dial-pad, and unexpectedly presses the call button to get Daniel's number. "I can't get you your meal now since I have class, so text me whenever you want it."

Daniel nods as Jihoon hands his phone back.

"And if you ever need a ride home after a party, feel free to call me too."

 

 

✧

 

 

 **Jihoon** :  
Also let me know when you want to play that game

 

 

✧

 

 

Spotting Jihoon on campus becomes too easy of a game for Daniel to play these days. It's funny because two weeks ago he wouldn't even notice Jihoon when he's by himself, let alone when he's in crowds, but things have happened between them and now they're somewhat friends. He says somewhat, because they do game together sometimes and send each other the occasional text about how scandalised they feel about Minhyun and Seongwoo's relationship, but they don't talk much in real life. That may be attributed to the fact that Jihoon is never alone when he passes by him though, so Daniel never gets the chance to speak more with him.

That's the other thing that surprises Daniel; the fact that Jihoon has other friends apart from Seongwoo, who he finds out doesn't spend as much time with him anymore now that he has a boyfriend. In fact, he has seen Jihoon with so many different people that it just so happens that coming up with nicknames for all of them becomes a much more interesting pastime to Daniel.

Though of course, Daniel doesn't intend on telling anyone about this strange newfound hobby of his. Especially not to Jihoon.

Daniel snaps back to reality once he realises he's been staring at the person wandering in his thoughts this entire time. He has to blink twice to make sure that Jihoon is indeed, staring right back at him from across the cafeteria with his brows furrowed in confusion.

Jihoon tilts his head to the side as if asking what he's looking at, but Daniel merely shakes his own in reply. The lack of a satisfying response makes Jihoon frown further, leaning forward in his chair to mouth something back to the older boy, but before his lips can move, one of Jihoon’s friends takes the seat opposite him and blocks Jihoon from Daniel's view.

"What's wrong?" Minhyun asks, twisting his head around to search for the source of Daniel's exasperation. He must have sighed out loud without realising it.

"It's nothing," replies Daniel, stabbing his fork through a cherry tomato as he wonders why he feels annoyed all of a sudden. "Anyway, what's up? Shouldn't you be having lunch with Seongwoo instead of me?"

Minhyun has been noticeably nervous since breakfast, and Daniel can tell it's not the usual case of assignments and tests stressing him out. It must be something more serious considering he almost burnt their house down with a piece of bread when he spaced out while using the toaster oven.

"Seongwoo is coming over tonight."

Daniel drops his utensils and looks incredulously at Minhyun. "Are you serious? I am _not_ going to be in the house while you two do the nasty."

Minhyun opens his mouth in protest, but Daniel silences him with another look of disbelief, causing the former to slump back in his seat. "Sorry I'm only telling you now. Will you have a place for tonight?"

 _Probably not_ , Daniel thinks. It's midterm season so his friends won't appreciate having him around even for one night, but he has no business worrying Minhyun about his shortage of sympathetic friends, so he answers with a, "We'll see."

Minhyun frowns at that. "I'm not having you sleep on anything less than a bed tonight, Daniel. I'll ask Seongwoo if you can stay over at his place."

"You really don't have to," Daniel mumbles, because really, he doesn't. It's the equivalent of staying over at a stranger's place even if he's known Seongwoo for a long time, and that sounds plenty of times worse to him than sleeping somewhere in the university.

But Minhyun ignores his plead as he gets up and takes off to his next class, probably thinking he's doing it in his best interest when Daniel just knows this isn't going to end well.

 

 

✧

 

 

Several minutes have passed since Daniel arrived at Seongwoo's apartment unit, but he's still pacing back and forth outside his front door because it's not too late for him to go somewhere else. Minhyun had belatedly mentioned that Seongwoo had a housemate, and Daniel didn't count on having to deal with spending an uncomfortable night with someone he doesn't know. Though it's his fault too for not realising this earlier because if Seongwoo lived alone they'd have obviously gone to his place instead of theirs.

Just as Daniel is about to send Jaehwan a text promising he'll introduce him to someone in return for letting him stay over tonight, the door abruptly swings open.

"When are you coming in? I can't concentrate if you're going to keep muttering to yourself right outside the door," a familiar voice snaps.

Daniel raises his head upon hearing the voice and feels relief wash over him when he sees Jihoon standing in front him, and not someone else he's meeting for the first time. He doubts the younger feels the same given the menacing glare he's giving him.

"I didn't know you live with Seongwoo," comments Daniel, a grin plastered across his face.

"Well now you do," replies Jihoon, tapping his foot impatiently. "Are you coming in or not?"

Jihoon disappears into the apartment before he can say anything back, leaving Daniel to follow closely behind him and wonder if he unknowingly pissed him off again. He may or may not be afraid of Jihoon when he's mad.

The younger boy moves to the dining table with his laptop, presumably going back to work on whatever he was doing before Daniel interrupted him with his arrival. He has half a mind to sit opposite him, but Jihoon's furious typing that sounds like the keys are about to fly off and hit him deters him to the sofa on the other side of the apartment instead.

The only sounds that fill the space between them for a while are the clicks of their keyboards and the occasional sharp exhale from Jihoon, which has Daniel darting his eyes from his screen to the boy out of caution.

Jihoon runs a hand through his hair and declares to no one in particular, "I need a break."

"Go for it," says Daniel, noticing how Jihoon looks up at him in surprise like he forgot he was here. Daniel would laugh, but it's kind of sad at the same time.

"Hey," Jihoon exclaims, his face suddenly brightening up. "Since you're here and all, we should play a game together."

Daniel bites the inside of his cheek. He'd love to, especially since Jihoon looks so excited about the idea, but he didn't bring his mouse and he's pretty sure he would play like a five-year-old if he uses his trackpad instead. "If you have a spare mouse, sure."

Jihoon's face falls quickly. "I don't."

"I would have brought it if you told me you were his housemate beforehand," defends Daniel, feeling attacked by the disappointed face Jihoon gives him.

"At least now you'll know to bring it whenever they kick you out of your house again," Jihoon retorts.

Daniel raises his eyebrows. "So you're assuming I'm coming back here when they do."

"I mean," Jihoon starts, slightly startled by his statement. "It's more convenient for you since you don't have to bother other people for a place."

"I guess so, but aren't I bothering you?" asks Daniel slowly.

Jihoon gives him a puzzled look. "No? You're so much better to have around than Seongwoo, even if you've only been here for a while."

Daniel feels the corners of his mouth sliding upwards.

"Didn't you have anywhere else to go though?" Jihoon asks innocently, not realising how much damage the question would deal to Daniel's pride.

"My friends have midterms," explains Daniel, thinking about how they're probably not even studying right now, "and sleeping at university would mean accepting having all my belongings gone the next morning."

"So no, basically."

"Yeah, because I don't have a huge network of people at my fingertips unlike you."

Giving an indignant look in response, Jihoon asserts, "I do not have a huge network of people."

"I see you with more people in one week than I interact with in a whole year. If that isn't a huge network, then I don't know what is," snorts Daniel.

Jihoon clicks his tongue. "Okay fine, I know a lot of people, but they're just acquaintances."

"At least they'd let you stay over, not like the cold, insensitive friends I have," Daniel sighs, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye

"How are you so sure they would?" Jihoon asks, genuinely interested.

Daniel pauses. He has seen the way certain people fawn over Jihoon and he has no doubt in his mind they'd take any opportunity they can to have him over. But this is an explanation he can't afford to offer because it would be tantamount to admitting he pays a little too much attention to the people he hangs out with.

Plus, Daniel doesn't want to get to the point where he has to explain to Jihoon that he gives questionable nicknames to his friends for fun.

"Because I know I would," Daniel says without thinking.

Jihoon's eyes widen, and Daniel feels his ears start to burn because of his impulsive remark. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best cover-up he came up with. Daniel has had worse days though, like when he told his TA he missed the deadline because his housemate was in the hospital, not knowing that she knew who his housemate was and that she was friends with Minhyun. Daniel failed to convince Minhyun to take days off to pretend he was badly injured.

"I'm flattered," replies Jihoon after what felt like an eternity to Daniel. He props his chin on his hand, smiling gently. "I'd let you stay over my place too, but I guess there's no point in saying that since you're already here."

Daniel laughs out of relief that Jihoon didn’t take his comment too weirdly. "Technically that doesn't count since Minhyun was the one who asked Seongwoo to let me stay over."

"How do you know I wasn't the one who told Seongwoo to offer our apartment in the first place?" Jihoon asks playfully, a devilish smirk on his lips.

That wipes the smile off Daniel's face.

"Just kidding," sing-songs Jihoon. "Disappointed?"

Daniel responds with an adamant _no,_ but he doesn't miss the way his heart sinks when Jihoon says that.

They end up talking for a better part of the night even though Jihoon was in the midst of his 'break', and when Daniel points this out, Jihoon just scoffs, saying that he's not going to get a good grade for it anyway so he won't bother trying anymore.

There's a reason why Daniel had wanted to talk more with Jihoon recently; he just knew something would be different if they talk in real life rather than over voice chats and texts. He didn't know how dirty his looks can get when Daniel says something dumb—which happens a lot—and he didn't know that Jihoon looks the prettiest when he lets out an unrestrained laugh.

And dare he say it, Daniel wouldn't mind if Minhyun brought Seongwoo over more often.

Eventually, they get too tired to say anything else, and Jihoon offers Seongwoo's bed for Daniel to use, but he just passes out on the sofa instead once Jihoon hands him a blanket to use.

When he wakes up the next morning, his back is aching, and Jihoon is already gone. A short text reads that he's left for class and that Seongwoo will be home soon, so he doesn't have to worry about leaving the door unlocked for long. Daniel drops his phone to his chest, and he's left there lying on the sofa thinking about how neatly tucked in his blanket is when he could have sworn he kicked it off himself last night.

 

 

✧

 

 

"So? Who's the lucky boy who caught my lovely Daniel's attention?" teases Minhyun.

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon and the both of them are spending it at home with Minhyun at his desk grading his students' quizzes and Daniel sprawled across his housemate's bed because, well, he has nothing better to do. Having just woke up, Daniel migrated from his own bed because Minhyun's newly-changed bedsheets were practically begging to be creased by his body. He didn't think he'd end up being interrogated in the process.

"There is no such boy," answers Daniel even though a vague face does surface in his mind.

"Liar. I see you smiling a lot at your phone these days, so who is it?"

"I could just be looking at memes and cat pictures, you know."

"I've seen your face when you do, and it's different to the expressions you make recently," Minhyun chuckles as he turns around on his chair and discovers the mess Daniel has made on his bed. "Hey, I just changed those."

Daniel smooths out the wrinkles with his long arms and legs in apology, but it just looks like he's making a snow angel and that ends up making Minhyun laugh instead.

"Let me know if you need any help with it, okay?" Minhyun says as he pats Daniel's shoulder before turning back to his desk.

Okay, maybe he could use Minhyun's help even if he isn't exactly the best person to go to for advice. After all, Minhyun's brain only seems to be good for studying and teaching, and not exactly for understanding other people's feelings and giving consultations.

"My chances are pretty low," Daniel starts. "He's ridiculously popular."

Minhyun stops writing, and spins the pen in his hand a few times. "You don't know that."

"We don't talk often," continues Daniel, ignoring him.

"Isn't he the same one you spend all night talking to when you're gaming? Which, by the way, happens every day."

"But that's when we're gaming." Daniel whines, "It's different to actual talking."

"How is that different? Surely you don't talk about whatever game you're playing the entire time," Minhyun sighs in exasperation. "It sounds more like you're making excuses to me."

Daniel is silent. He _is_ making excuses, but only because he's scared and doesn't want to get his hopes up.

"I'm nothing special to him," Daniel mumbles against the bedsheets.

Dropping his pen abruptly, Minhyun swivels on his seat to face Daniel. "Listen. I'm not going to say he likes you too or anything," Minhyun says soothingly, "but don't say you're nothing special. There's a reason why he chooses to spend his nights playing games with you, don't you think?"

"Maybe," says Daniel stubbornly, earning a smack on the top of his head from Minhyun. Daniel knows he's right though, and he's thankful for that—he just hopes the time they spend together means as much to Jihoon as it does to him.

Minhyun gives him a reassuring smile. "So? Who is it?"

Daniel sits up quickly, finally realising he's been running his mouth off for too long. Minhyun knows too much already when Daniel didn't even intend on telling him anything at all, but it's his own fault for getting lured in by his sweet voice. He's not going to fall for it again though.

So before Minhyun can coax him into spilling any more details, Daniel flashes him his best grin and flounders out the room.

 

 

✧

 

 

Daniel no longer texts Jihoon whenever Minhyun is around because he's afraid he will one day peer over his shoulder and find out just who it is he's talking to. Daniel is also sure Minhyun has caught on with this because every time he re-enters the living room after sending Jihoon a text and making sure he has his poker face put on, Minhyun is always sitting there staring at him with a knowing smile.

Luckily for him, Minhyun happens to be out tonight—as unusual as it sounds, but it's probably due to Seongwoo's influence—so he doesn't have to care about how he looks while texting him for the next few hours.

 

 **Jihoon** :  
Hey

 **Daniel** :  
hey  
wyd

 **Jihoon** :  
I'm at this lame party

 **Daniel** :  
what's with you and parties lol  
driving seongwoo home again?

 **Jihoon** :  
No  
But if I was I'd get you to do it for me  
Haha

 **Daniel** :  
wow am i just some driver to you :'(

 **Jihoon** :  
Haha  
Of course not, you're way more than that  
You're Seongwoo's personal driver  
Hahahah

Don't ignore me  
You have to admit that was pretty funny

Danielllllllll

 

Even a text with just his name on it puts a dumb smile on Daniel's face, as he finds out himself when his phone fades to black and his reflection stares back. He tries to straighten his expression as soon as he realises it, but his phone lights up once again to reveal a call from Jihoon, and his heart almost shoots out of his chest again.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Jihoon answers, voice huskier than usual. Daniel guesses it must be from the alcohol.

"Is this a drunk booty call?" Daniel jokes, because he really doesn't know why Jihoon would be calling him when he never does.

Jihoon releases a breathy laugh, causing Daniel's ear to tingle. "Unfortunately for you, no it's not. I'm just bored."

"You're literally at a party." Daniel hears the faint bass and cheers spilling through the speaker of his phone, and it definitely sounds like the people in the background are having fun. "Go socialise and drink and shit."

"I was dragged here against my will and I have no ride home," whines Jihoon. "Stupid Seongwoo is too cool to go to a party by himself."

Daniel has to stifle his laughter at Jihoon trying to insult others when his choice of words just make him sound outright cute.

"I just want to go home and play games with you," Jihoon continues to complain. He can almost see the innocent smile on Jihoon's face when he asks him, "Pick me up?"

 

 

✧

 

 

The look on Jihoon's flushed face is priceless when Daniel shows up at the party. In fact, it's almost as good as Minhyun's—who happens to be standing nearby with Seongwoo—when he sees Jihoon bound up to Daniel like some puppy and puts two and two together.

Minhyun wiggles his eyebrows when Daniel spares him a glance. He pretends not to have seen it.

"I didn't think you'd actually come," Jihoon comments once he gets in the passenger seat of Daniel's car, poking at the cat bobblehead on his dashboard.

"I didn't think Minhyun would be there at the party too, but I guess we're all full of surprises today." He taps his fingers quickly on the steering wheel. "Speaking of which, why did Seongwoo drag you to the party if Minhyun was already going to be there?"

"I don't know," mumbles Jihoon. "Seongwoo likes me too much, probably."

"It looked to me like they ditched you back there."

"No, no, you've got it all wrong. _I'm_ the one who ditched them—do you know how it feels like to be the third wheel?" Jihoon shivers. "That's why I needed you to escape."

"How sweet of you, you needed me."

"As a driver, yes."

Daniel flicks Jihoon's forehead, muttering something about him being a rude kid who likes using other people to his advantage as he starts up the car.

"I don't feel like going home yet," confesses Jihoon, locking eyes with Daniel.

Jihoon is being awfully honest tonight, and Daniel can't deny it's making him want to yell out loud on top of a mountain. It takes all his effort to bite back a smile and keep his voice neutral. "Where do you want to go?"

"Who knows."

"There must be some place you're thinking of."

"Not really." Jihoon cocks his head to the side as he says, "I just want to spend more time with you."

He is definitely drunk to an extent, and Daniel definitely needs to search up where the closest mountains are when he gets home. "We're not going anywhere if we don't know where we're going," he points out the obvious.

“Fine.” Jihoon leans forward in his seat and squints as if contemplating something. "A quiet, pretty place," he says, glimpsing at Daniel through his bangs. "Know anywhere like that?"

Quiet and pretty. Daniel turns the two words in his head as he tries to think of the perfect place he could take Jihoon to. The only quiet place he's been to recently is the university's library, though he wouldn't exactly call it pretty, and the only place he'd call pretty in this city is that one spot he hasn't gone to in a while.

Actually, that might be the perfect place to go to for the two of them.

 

 

✧

 

 

"This is so shady," Jihoon gripes. "I think my legs are giving out."

Daniel feels the same way: his back is sweaty and his thighs are aching, but still he climbs more steps, almost tripping over an uneven one in the darkness. "Trust me, it'll be worth it."

Jihoon mutters something back under his breath, but Daniel unconsciously blocks his words out of his system once he reaches the hilltop, and a surge of emotions rush through him once the all too familiar picture comes into view. It looks exactly how he remembers it: the city below him is glimmering with lights of all colours and brilliance, outshone only by the glowing moon above them; the night sky is strangely tinted violet, a shade reminiscent of the pictures of nebulae he's seen online, and Daniel doesn't realise he's holding his breath until Jihoon speaks up.

"Wow," whispers Jihoon, amazement laced in his voice as he grabs onto the worn-out fence. "It's beautiful."

Daniel grins, chest sticking out proudly. "Right? I knew you'd like it."

"How did you find it?" Jihoon asks, not taking his eyes off the picture before them.

"Pure coincidence. I was just driving around when I found it," explains Daniel, smiling at the memories that resurface. "It's been a while since I last came here though."

Jihoon raises his head at Daniel's last comment. "Why?"

A light breeze blows. "It's gorgeous and all, but I only came here when I got stressed, so there's a lot of negative emotions associated with the place," he chuckles. "Now I only think about coming here when I feel like shit."

"Huh," muses Jihoon, "does that mean now _I'll_ be associated with those negative emotions?"

"Of course not," says Daniel hurriedly, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "There's no way that'll happen."

"You don't know that," replies Jihoon, but still smiles in spite of himself.

They stay there in silence for a while as they watch tiny cars move slowly in the distance and small figures going about their night lives, and the wind continues to whisper in their ears in place of their conversations.

Daniel feels a shift of movement on his arm, and only then does he realise Jihoon is standing so close to him that their arms are touching and he can hear his soft breathing. Daniel peeks at him from the corner of his eye, and he can't help but appreciate how Jihoon looks so serene like this, leaning against him slightly with his eyes focused on the sight in front of them.

Somewhere along the way, conversing and gaming with Jihoon became something to look forward to every day, but now Daniel understands that just having him there by his side feels right. He feels comfortable when Jihoon is around, and he's grateful for that, and he starts to wonder if Jihoon feels the same way. If anything, the way he’s acting tonight is an indicator that he does, but Daniel doesn't know if it's all banter or if there are actually feelings hidden in his words.

"What are you looking at?" asks Jihoon, propping his chin on his hand and eyeing Daniel up and down.

Suddenly Daniel is fully aware he's been staring at Jihoon for longer than he intended to, but that always seems to happen anyway. He smirks. "You, obviously."

Jihoon seems pleased with his response because an amused smile works its way up his lips. "Come to think of it, you were staring at me like this in the cafeteria a while back ago too."

Daniel tries to recall what he’s talking about, and when he finally remembers the memory, he drops his jaw. "You still remember that?"

"Yeah, and I remember getting a little annoyed because you wouldn't stop staring—no offence."

"None taken," shrugs Daniel, even if the revelation does sting a little. "What about now?"

Jihoon pauses as he considers his question. He turns back to the view, and then confesses reluctantly, "I don't mind."

Daniel isn't sure why but his gaze rests on Jihoon's head, and all of a sudden he feels this urge to caress it. It might be because of the way the wind has been messing his hair up, making it look as if he just got out of bed, or maybe it's because of the immense affection he now realises he has for Jihoon.

So Daniel reaches a hand out, threading his fingers through Jihoon's hair to make it seem like he's fixing it when in reality he's serving his own selfishness with his actions. Jihoon lets him, closing his eyes as Daniel continues to brush strands back in their place, and Daniel finds that so endearing that his hand ends up cupping his cheek.

Jihoon's eyes fly open at the intimate act, his cheeks visibly reddening, but he doesn't make any movement to pull away from his hand. He’s staring directly at Daniel now, and it's as if flakes of glitter have found their way to his eyes with how they sparkle even in the darkness. His breath hitches. Then again, Jihoon is even prettier than any view they've been looking at in the past hour: he really is a beautiful sight to behold, and Daniel has his doubts, but he wants to take his chances.

So he does, and he leans in.

"It's—"

Daniel flinches at the sudden noise, watching anxiously as Jihoon turns his head back towards the bottom of the hill where his car is, his eyes refusing to meet Daniel's any longer.

"It's pretty cold tonight," Jihoon continues. Daniel doesn't miss how his voice is shaking. "We should go home."

 

 

✧

 

 

There are two people Daniel is actively avoiding: one of them is Jihoon for obvious reasons, and the other is Minhyun.

There is no doubt in his mind that if Daniel were to be seen at home, Minhyun would bombard him with questions as if he were the key witness to a national crime. In this case, the crime is not telling Minhyun what exactly is going on between him and Jihoon when he has trusted Daniel to tell him about it eventually—or so Minhyun says when he catches him studying in the library.

"I can't believe you. No wonder you didn't complain once whenever I told you I'm bringing Seongwoo over, you little sneak," Minhyun rags. "I always felt bad about kicking you out of the house."

"That sure didn't stop you from bringing him over," Daniel replies boredly.

Minhyun lightly slaps him on his arm, and Daniel gives him a mock dirty look. "We're talking about you right now, not me. How's it going with Jihoon?"

"It's alright, I guess."

"Hurry up and make your move, then. Do you know how popular he is?" Minhyun chides.

Daniel sighs. "Yes, I do, Minhyun, and I really don't need to be reminded that I'm just one of the many people chasing after him, thanks."

Taken aback, Minhyun reaches out to pat Daniel's shoulder. "Sorry, I spoke too much. You guys looked cute together when I saw you come in at the party though; I was convinced you were going out with him already."

Sometimes the things Minhyun says in apology make Daniel feel worse even though he really means well.

"I know!" Minhyun jumps up suddenly, startling Daniel and the other students in the vicinity. "I have a brilliant idea and you'll love it."

"What is it?" asks Daniel, mostly to entertain his housemate rather than take him seriously.

Grinning from ear to ear, Minhyun replies, "A double date."

Daniel stares at him blankly as he recalls why Minhyun should never be allowed with free time in his hands. He just uses all of it to come up with the dumbest ideas despite being one of the smartest people Daniel knows.

 

 

✧

 

 

"I can't believe you're making me do this," Daniel groans, fixing his collar as they walk into a fancy restaurant: Minhyun's choice—he wouldn't let Daniel take them to a simple noodle place fit for broke university students like himself.

Minhyun confirms his reservation with the staff at the front, who informs them that two guests have already taken their seats at the table. The information is enough for Daniel's nerves that he thought he left behind at the ornate door to come rushing all the way back into his body.

"You'll be fine," Minhyun reassures when Daniel clutches onto his sleeve for emotional support. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"I would no longer have a place to stay at when you bring Seongwoo over."

"You're right, that's pretty bad."

The joke isn't enough to untie the knot in Daniel's stomach though, so he makes his best pleading expression to Minhyun as he says, "I need to go to the bathroom."

Minhyun opens his mouth to protest, but all that escapes is a sigh. "You better come out before we finish dessert," he mocks.

Upon his housemate's approval—or lack of disapproval—Daniel makes a beeline for the bathroom, avoiding looking at anyone to his sides in fear that Jihoon is sitting at one of the tables and spots him running away like he's out to get him.

Once the door closes behind him, Daniel sighs in relief, glad that he bought some time before he has to deal with a double date that is sure to turn into a date and with its two third-wheels. Though not for long, because as soon as he manages to slow his rapidly beating heart down, one of the stalls open and Jihoon walks out.

Daniel sees shock register on his face, but it quickly fades away to nothing. "Hey," Jihoon says. "You okay?"

He must be referring to the way Daniel has his hand clutching his chest questionably, so he quickly puts his hands behind him. "Yeah," he replies, all too calmly, before pushing himself off the door and heading towards one of the stalls, though not before glancing at Jihoon.

It's only Daniel's second time seeing him wear something other than a hoodie, and he looks especially better like this, in a navy blue blazer and crisp white dress shirt, so he can't help the words that spill out before he can stop himself. "You look nice."

"Thanks," Jihoon laughs nervously. "They're Seongwoo's, since I don't have any myself."

"I thought they looked a little big on you."

Jihoon’s smile fades and for a split second, Daniel wonders if he went too far considering they haven't talked in a while. But then out of nowhere, Jihoon doubles up with laughter, clutching at his stomach, which completely dispels any tension between them.

"Why do you look so _scared_?" Jihoon manages between his laughs.

Daniel looks in the mirror and sure enough, he looks embarrassingly terrified for no good reason at all. Jihoon isn't a bad person—he would never get mad at or deny someone just because they have feelings towards him, and Daniel feels dumb for not realising it earlier. So he joins in on Jihoon's laughter, and as soon as he does, the knot in his stomach finally goes away.

Once they calm down, Jihoon wiping away the tears in his eyes from laughing too hard, he gestures to the door to the restaurant and says, "I don't want to go back in there."

"Why not?" Daniel asks.

"They're just going to flirt in front of us the whole time," Jihoon replies, wiping his hands off on a towel and dumping it into a basket. "That, and this place is too fancy."

"True," considers Daniel. "So are you leaving?"

Jihoon looks at him. "Do you want to?"

Before Daniel can give him an answer, the door to the bathroom swings open, startling the both of them as they whip their heads to see who came in. It turns out to be Seongwoo.

"Why are you guys taking so long?" he demands, though he's mostly looking at Jihoon. He turns to Daniel and flashes one of his brilliant smiles before saying, "And Daniel, hey, long time no talk. It's been, what, four years?"

Daniel can see Jihoon shifting his gaze between the both of them in the corner of his eye, no doubt curious as to what they're talking about. "Yeah, it's been a while."

There’s a short awkward pause in between, and Jihoon takes this as an opportunity to cut in.

"Daniel," Jihoon calls.

Both Seongwoo and Daniel turn to him, and Jihoon gives the latter a pointed look. At first, Daniel doesn’t get it, but after a while, he realises Jihoon is insinuating that he’s still waiting for an answer to his earlier question.

But Daniel is reluctant—Minhyun was the one who planned the outing, and he's not sure if he'll appreciate Daniel ditching him. At the same time, Minhyun wants to help him with Jihoon, so he wouldn’t complain if he ends up going out with just him, right? That, and it's as hard as ever saying no to Jihoon when he’s looking at him with such intensity.

So Daniel gives him a slight nod and before he knows it, Jihoon is grabbing his hand. He shouts a quick ‘ _Sorry!_ ’ behind him right before the bathroom door closes, and then they're running out of the restaurant before Minhyun can catch them and into the streets, dousing themselves in the sweet spring air.

 

 

✧

 

 

Jihoon only lets go of Daniel's hand when they have to eat, but even after that he intertwines their fingers as if it’s a natural thing for them to do. The older boy doesn't question it—he's enjoying the feeling of Jihoon's hand in his too much to care that he pushed him away when Daniel tried to make a move on the hill.

"You wouldn't catch me dead acting the way they do," Jihoon claims, presumably about Minhyun and Seongwoo and what they would have had to dealt with had the double date gone according to Minhyun’s plan.

"I feel sorry for your future boyfriend, then," Daniel laughs.

Jihoon drags them into store before replying, "Honestly, me too."

Daniel watches as Jihoon peruses through the clothing racks for new outfits, apparently because Seongwoo has been shaming him for only owning hoodies and he felt the need to heed his advice.

"I can't help that hoodies are the most comfortable thing to wear," Jihoon mutters under his breath. "Speaking of Seongwoo, how come you never told me you went to the same high school as him?"

Jihoon finally picks up a hanger for the first time they entered the store, but it ends up being another hoodie so Daniel snatches it from his hand and puts it back on the rack. "You never asked."

He rolls his eyes, pulling him to another section of the store. "But we've talked about Seongwoo a few times before, so you could've brought it up then."

Daniel chuckles at Jihoon's stubbornness; he never wants to lose an argument. "Why does it matter if we knew each other before?"

"I could have asked him for embarrassing stories of you," Jihoon teases, this time taking out a grey sweatshirt that looked like it would be a perfect fit on him. "And then I could blackmail you into doing things for me."

Giving his thumbs-up after Jihoon looks to him for approval, Daniel recalls all the times he persuaded him to play ‘ _Just one more game_ ’ and the countless times he asked to pick him up from _somewhere_. He points out, "You already do that without having to blackmail me."

Jihoon ends up taking every colour of the same sweatshirt into his arms as they move towards the cashier. Daniel doesn't do anything to stop him because shopping mentally exhausts him, especially when it's with someone whose sense of style is a complete opposite to his. Another reason is that Jihoon looks too pleased with his haul that he doesn't have the heart to tell him Seongwoo will still end up insulting him.

"That's because you're too nice a person," Jihoon insists, skipping out the door with his two shopping bags in one hand and Daniel's hand in the other. "It's easier to take advantage of you."

Daniel says nothing in response because frankly speaking, if it means Jihoon will be happy, he doesn’t mind being taken advantage of. Or maybe that's just his inner masochist speaking.

They walk along the streets for a while, stopping every so often to pet the chirpy dogs that pass by and again to admire the sunset view. Daniel offers to hold one of Jihoon's bags because he looks like he's been leaning the other way for a while and he did buy a lot (of the same sweatshirt), but he ends up getting reprimanded for his kindness instead.

Daniel really doesn't understand him.

The sun finally sinks below the horizon, and Jihoon thanks Daniel for following him around even though he never asked if he wanted to come along in the first place. Daniel waves off his worries and they part, making promises to meet later that night in-game.

No words of what happened that night on top of the hill were exchanged today, but Daniel is grateful that their friendship hasn’t been compromised and that Jihoon is acting normally, save for the hand-holding. As Daniel comes to accept that there won't be anything special between him and Jihoon any time soon, he feels a yank at the back of his shirt that almost causes him to fall to the ground.

"What the fu—" Daniel almost yells, but stops when he sees that the culprit is Jihoon looking up at him with amusement.

His hand is outstretched, holding his phone out for Daniel to read.

 

 **Seongwoo** :  
     Minhyun is coming over tonight. go to Daniel's

 

 

✧

 

 

Although Daniel frequently brings friends over to his place when they're having board game nights with drinks, having someone Daniel has feelings for come over is an entirely different story. Jihoon has never been to Daniel's place before; it's always been the other way around whenever Minhyun and Seongwoo have their rendezvous.

And although Daniel is grateful for the opportunity of having Jihoon to himself for the next several hours, he can't help but internally curse at Minhyun when he sends him a short ' _You're welcome ;)_ ' text.

Jihoon audibly sighs across from him, slouching over the wooden table as he fiddles with the spice bottles Minhyun likes to put on display. "I wouldn't have minded as much if he told me beforehand," Jihoon complains. "I just need my laptop to play games."

"This is your chance for some quality social interaction," Daniel replies, matter-of-factly. "Nothing like the toxicity you're so used to seeing in every gaming community."

Jihoon rolls his eyes. "Funny you should say that because if I had to take a shot every time you swear when we play, I'd be dead after thirty minutes."

Daniel can't deny that.

"But I'll take you up on that offer," Jihoon hums as he rests his head on his hands and looks straight at Daniel. "How about we start with this: why have you been avoiding me recently?"

The older boy almost chokes on his own spit because this isn't exactly the quality social interaction he had in mind. He replies, unconvincingly, "I wasn't avoiding you."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a bad liar?"

"You can't ask me two questions in a row. It's my turn now," Daniel counters childishly, unnerved by the younger boy's blunt attacks. "Why did you keep holding my hand today?"

Jihoon pauses, startled at Daniel's own forward question. He thinks for a bit before offering, "Because I wanted to. Why did you let me?"

"You know I can't say no to you."

At this point, they're both convinced and they both know what will happen eventually, but for some reason, neither one of them has the courage to be the first one to cave in. Jihoon for reasons unknown, and Daniel because he's already been indirectly rejected once, though he doesn't know why when the signs were there.

"It was boring when you were avoiding me," Jihoon speaks up all of a sudden, voice muffled by his hand. "Don't do that again."

Daniel is stunned. But he still nods, a pointless act considering the younger boy isn't looking at him, and he's glad for that since his ears are burning up right now. "Sorry." He swallows. "For that, and also for the other day when we were on the hill."

Jihoon sits back in his seat, but he's still looking downwards. "It's fine. I just panicked because I really didn't expect it, especially from you."

The older boy feels his heart drop, and mumbles in response, "Yeah, I should've asked first."

"No, what I mean is," Jihoon chuckles as he finally meets Daniel's eyes, "you're not the type to be assertive, so I thought you'd take forever to make a move."

Before Daniel gets a chance to fully process his words, Jihoon grabs the shopping bag from earlier, saying something about putting his purchases to use by using them as pyjamas before letting them rot in his closet, and begins to dash towards the bathroom. Acting on his impulses, Daniel grasps Jihoon's wrist before he figures out what he wants to say because he's not going to let him run away again.

All Daniel can think about at the moment is the way Jihoon looks up at him in anticipation, as if he's been calculating and predicting his every move so far, and this moment is the culmination of it all. Jihoon's personality might have rubbed off on him because Daniel doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of winning just yet.

"Please don't wear the bright yellow one," Daniel pleads, gesturing to the bag of sweatshirts in Jihoon's hand. "It'll hurt my eyes."

Almost immediately, Jihoon whacks Daniel in the leg with the bag, not holding back with the amount of strength he puts in. "Stop teasing. You're doing it on purpose."

Sliding his hand down to intertwine their fingers, Daniel smiles fondly at Jihoon's sulky face. He could get used to this sight. "And you're too cute."

Those words are all it takes for Jihoon's pout to turn into a sheepish smile and from that, for Daniel to find the courage he needed to once again to lean in towards Jihoon—but not before pausing an inch away from Jihoon’s lips, waiting to see if he'll push him away again like he did that night. He nearly asks if it's okay to kiss him, but he finds that the question would be meaningless when Jihoon's eyes are already closed and his lips are slightly parted in invitation.

Usually, Jihoon is the one who leaves Daniel at a loss for words and unsure of what to do next and not the other way around. But now, much unlike his usual cool demeanour, Jihoon is kissing him back shyly, holding onto Daniel nervously, and it’s not difficult to tell it’s because he’s inexperienced. Jihoon releases a content hum against Daniel's wet lips and it stirs him up to know that he has the upper hand on Jihoon on something, and this realisation only makes him want to kiss him deeper just so he can get more moments of Jihoon being vulnerable. But he stops before he can get ahead of himself again.

Daniel lets go, watching as Jihoon looks up at him wordlessly, with those same stars twinkling his eyes, and a divine expression that takes his breath away. He feels overwhelmed and has to look away, his eyes falling on the bag of sweatshirts Jihoon was holding.

Following his gaze, Jihoon also spots the bag abandoned at their feet, and hurriedly moves to pick it up. "What colour should I wear then?" Jihoon grins as he presents its contents to Daniel.

"Pink," suggests Daniel after considering how beautiful the colour tints his cheeks. "I still can't believe you bought ten different colours of the same sweatshirt."

Jihoon giggles hard, covering his mouth with his hand yet still managing to look adorable all the same. "You did nothing to stop me."

"That's because you're beyond saving."

Hitting Daniel with his fist, Jihoon replies, "Now that you're going out with me, you think it's okay to be mean?"

"Since when were we going out?" Daniel asks, though a smile spreads wide on his face to hear some sort of confirmation directly from Jihoon, given that they mentioned nothing about what just happened between them one moment ago. They should really fix that.

Jihoon sighs in exasperation. "Since I said so just now. And don't try me with any of that ' _I never said yes_ ' or anything, Daniel." He fishes out the pink sweatshirt from the bag and stares at him. "Because it'll take a whole lot more to catch me off-guard."

Daniel can't lie; he's looking forward to trying.

 

 

✧

 

 

As it turns out, dating Jihoon brings a lot of attention from his friends—or as Jihoon likes to call them, acquaintances—because none of them even knew they were close since they're never seen together on campus, let alone that Daniel was in Jihoon's radar. So Daniel can't help but grin dumbly to himself when he strides through the hallways hand-in-hand with Jihoon and a few people he recognises by the nicknames he gave them watch them walk by.

Daniel becomes self-conscious once Jihoon rolls his eyes and utters a sarcastic ' _please_ ', but the younger boy still finds the whole situation amusing enough that he squeezes his hand harder.

"So," Seongwoo drawls as he flings a Skip Card onto the card pile. "How about it, Daniel? Want to swap housemates?"

It’s a board game and drinking night at Daniel and Minhyun's place to make up for the other unsuccessful double date, and Jihoon has made sure to separate the original couple so that they aren't all over each other in front of him and Daniel. So far it's working.

"I feel like we already did, given that I spend more nights at your place than at mine," Daniel replies, picking up an Exploding Kitten and groaning when he realises he has no Defuse Cards in his deck.

"He's avoiding the question," Minhyun provides unhelpfully.

Daniel watches as Jihoon pretends that the card designs are more interesting than the current conversation topic, but he knows he is listening and possibly has high expectations regarding his answer. He swallows. "I think I’m fine with how things are right now, so..."

The table erupts in roars and laughter, though mostly from Seongwoo, and Daniel is pretty sure he's been waiting for that comment because he has always been the type to look for drama. Minhyun carefully looks to his right to see Jihoon's reaction, and, sure enough, he looks offended.

Jihoon huffs. "Whatever, it's not like I want to swap either—Daniel snores so loud that even our neighbours complain about it."

Eyes widening, Daniel asks, "Wait, are you serious?"

This time Minhyun joins in on the laughter, only because he would know about that; he has to wear earplugs some nights when the noise becomes unbearable.

"Oh my, Minhyun, are we witnessing their first lover's quarrel?" Seongwoo hoots obnoxiously, darting his eyes between Daniel and Jihoon.

"I think we are, my dear Seongwoo. Should we leave them to it?" giggles Minhyun as they both escape into his bedroom and lock the door, leaving an unfinished card game and two peeved victims behind.

Daniel approaches Jihoon carefully as he takes a seat next to him, and asks, "You're not mad, are you?"

"Of course not," Jihoon says, leaning in on Daniel's shoulder. "That's just Seongwoo's petty way of getting back at me for not letting him sit next to Minhyun."

Daniel laughs, taking the creased cards away from Jihoon's hands and putting his hand in place instead. "Good," he replies as he presses a kiss to the top of Jihoon's head. "Because you're scary when you're mad."

"Good."

"And you're proud of that?"

"Yeah?" Jihoon voices, tracing Daniel's knuckles slowly with his free hand. "I find that it helps keep people away, though clearly it didn't work as well on you."

"Too bad for them; they're missing out on a lot." Jihoon rolls his eyes in protest against the sappy words, but Daniel ignores him as he continues to confess, "I'm glad I was unaffected."

Jihoon looks up at him with a twinkle in his eyes and a subtle smile, and this is where he retaliates with a sarcastic remark about how Daniel secretly-but-obviously enjoys being pushed around by other people, specifically Jihoon.

Instead, the younger boy stretches up in his seat to press a short but sweet kiss on Daniel's lips, smiling to himself when he sees his flustered reaction.

"Me too."

 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was... both fun and difficult to write (though mostly difficult) but I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I would really appreciate it if you decide to send anything my way in the comments or through [Twitter](https://twitter.com/himarisuu) or [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/himarisu) ♥


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